A Different Life
by DanaScullyIsMySpiritAnimal
Summary: This is an alternate version of the diner scene between Mulder, Scully, and Skinner in the episode Paper Clip. What happens if Melissa doesn't die? What if Mulder and Scully leave town after meeting with Skinner? This explores that...


A Different Life

CHAPTER 1

Walter Skinner looked across the table at both of his agents.

"Is this really worth both of your lives? Think about it Mulder, those answers wont be worth shit if you're dead and they wont stop until the both of you are six feet under. Now we have to think! There has to be another way!"

The three FBI agents sat in silence in the small diner for many minutes.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes of silence Mulder turned to Skinner.

"There is a way. It won't be easy, on any of us, but it could work."

"What do we have to do?"

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2 Days Later

MELISSA SCULLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM

9:27 PM

Margaret Scully sat in a chair beside her eldest daughters hospital bed reading a book… well trying to read a book. Sighing, Maggie closed her eyes and the book and tried to relax the muscles of her back that screamed at her for sitting in the stiff chair for hours on end.

"Mrs. Scully?"

Turning towards the door Maggie saw a tall bald man in a suit enter her daughter's hospital room.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Scully, my name is Walter Skinner I'm an AD with the FBI, your daughter Dana and her partner Fox Mulder are under my command. I was just hoping to see how Agent Scully's sister is doing."

"The doctors are saying that she should make a full recovery although she did give us quite a scare last night. Her heart stopped beating but they were able to get it going again and ever since she has been getting stronger, her stats have been improving. They said that she should wake up in a few days."

"That's wonderful news. Agent Scully will be glad to hear that."

Maggie sat forward in her chair and placed her all but forgotten book on the floor by her feet.

"You've spoken to Dana?"

Skinner stepped further into the room and sat down in the chair that was next to Maggie's.

"Yes I have and she wanted me to tell you how sorry she is that she can't be here for both you and her sister. She also wanted me to give you this." Skinner reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope with _Mom_ written on the front. Taking the letter Maggie turned back to Skinner and gave him a smile.

"Thank you Mr. Skinner. Can you at least tell me that she is alright?"

"She's alright Mrs. Scully. Just read the letter, it should answer all of your questions, and if it doesn't give me a call."

With that Skinner handed her his business card with his home number written on the back and left the room.

Maggie looked down at the letter in her hand for a few minutes before finally pulling the paper out and reading it.

_Dear Mom,_

_ I know that this is a horrible way for me to tell you this and I know that you are going through a hard time right now with Melissa but… I have to leave town for a while. I can't tell you where I'm going and I don't know when I will be back but I do know that it won't be for a long time, a very long time._

_ Just know that I love you very much and that this decision was very hard for me to make but I know that this is something that I need to do. For you, for Mulder, and for myself._

_ I hope that one day you will be able to understand that what I have had to do is for the best. I also hope that you one day you can forgive me for what I am putting you through and for what you will go through in the future without me there by your side._

_ Give Missy, Charlie, and Bill my love._

_ I love you so much! I will try my hardest to get back home to you as soon as I can._

_ I'm sorry._

_ Love Dana_

Folding the letter back up and replacing it in its envelope Maggie brushed the tears from her cheek and whispered, "Oh Dana."

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3 YEARS LATER

MARGARET SCULLY'S HOUSE

DECEMBER 17

1:33PM

"Mom! Hey! Where are you?" Melissa Scully yelled as she walked through the front door of her mother's house.

Ever since Scully and Mulder disappeared and Melissa was released from the hospital the remaining members of the Scully clan have stuck closer together than they had in years, with the exception of Bill Jr. who was stationed out in San Diego with his girlfriend Tara.

"I'm in the basement Melissa!"

Following the sound of her mother's voice Melissa located the eldest Scully member at the bottom of the steps trying to lift a very heavy, very dusty box.

In the years following her daughter's disappearance Maggie Scully had grown quieter but had also found a new view of life, she tried things that she had never thought imaginable before. Sky diving, zip lining off a cliff in Brazil, swimming with sharks in the Bahamas, and spending hours at the firing range. And now trying to lift a box twice her size up a flight of steps all on her own.

Melissa ran down the steps to help her mother with the large load.

"Mother! Why on earth are you trying to carry this thing all on your own? This couldn't have waited until Charlie came over for dinner?"

Grunting, the two women got the box up the stairs and onto the kitchen table.

"Well, I wanted it now, so no. It couldn't have waited. Now why don't you quit your babying and join me in going through all this, ok?"

Smiling, Melissa sat down next to her mother and reached into the box. It was all the old Scully family Christmas ornaments.

The two women spent the better part of two hours pulling out each ornament and passing stories around of Christmases past when a knocking on the door brought them out of their conversation.

"I'll grab that Mom, you go ahead and stay here."

Thinking that it might be her brother with his hands full, Melissa jogged to the door, hoping to help him out.

"Hey Chuckles wha… Oh my god! Dana!"

It was there at the front door two sisters launched themselves into each other's arms, tears streaming down both of their faces.

"Oh Missy! I've missed you so much!"

Melissa hugged her sister tighter and whispered, "I've missed you too D! Oh my god! Fox! It's so good to see you!"

Melissa released her sister and then launched herself at Mulder who, in all of the excitement she had not seen standing beside Scully.

"Melissa what's going on out here?"

Everyone turned to see Maggie walk into the room.

"Dana? Dana! Oh my god!"

Melissa had never seen her mother move so fast in her entire life then she had at that moment as she raced across the room to take Scully into her arms, nearly knocking the younger woman over. Both women were too overcome with tears to speak so they spent the first few minutes of their reunion in silence. That is until a little voice rang out loud in the room.

"Daddy, why is Mommy cwying?"

Four pairs of eyes flew to the little girl that stood in the doorway behind Mulder, two of those sets of eyes were in complete shock.

"Dana?" came from Maggie several minutes later. Moving to stand behind the little girl, Dana turned to her family.

"Mom, Missy, this is Lillian Margaret Mulder, our daughter."

Before anyone could say anything, Mulder stepped out onto the porch and grabbed a car seat that was draped with a blue blanket and quickly pulled the blanket off, revealing a baby dressed in blue.

"And this is Landon William Mulder, our son."

Silence.

Finally, Maggie stepped forward and kneeled in front of the little girl, fresh tears running down her face.

"Hello there Lillian, I'm your Grandma."

"I know who you are Gramma , Mommy showd me your picture evwry day! I'm so happy I get to see you for real now!"

Lily threw her arms around Maggie and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Oh sweetie! I'm so happy that I get to see you for real too! Oh Dana, they're so beautiful!"

Mulder and Scully smiled and wrapped their arms around each other.

"Thank you Mom. Lily just turned two a couple of weeks ago and Landon here will be 8 months on Friday."

Maggie and Melissa looked back and forth between the two children with huge smiles on their faces.

Then Missy turned to the couple with worry in her eyes.

"Is it all over? Are you back for good? Are you safe."

A huge smile broke out over the two former FBI Agent's faces.

"Yes Missy, it's all over. We're all perfectly safe and here for good!"

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END OF CHAPTER 1


End file.
